Ethanol Vs. Gasoline

Gasoline usage and its effects on the economy and the environment are always a concern. Recently, some drivers have considered a switch to using ethanol to fuel their vehicles because it is more environment friendly. But, are there any downsides to using ethanol over gasoline?

Video Transcription
How does ethanol differ? Well of course, it’s an alcohol as opposed to gasoline. But the big thing is that ethanol is good for the economy. It’s good for our dependence on foreign oil in the sense that it cuts it down, but as far as the car goes, not so good. Ethanol attracts moisture into the fuel system of the car, and that has to be dealt with. If it isn’t, then you wind up with fuel system problems. Additionally, it cuts fuel economy. There’s not as much energy in a gallon of ethanol as there is in a gallon of gasoline. So the difference in that energy, because it deals with density and a number of other very technical things, but because of these differences, you will automatically see a drop in fuel economy when you use ethanol. The higher the concentration of ethanol, the lower the fuel economy goes.

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